Brooder.



J. F. PLATH.

BROODER.

APPLICATION HLED NOV. 28. I917.

Patented Feb. 19,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l J. F. FLATH.

BROODER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 28, NH.

Patented Feb. 19, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JOHN FREDERICK PLATH, 0F MAZA, NORTH DAKOTA.

BROODEB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 19, 1918.

Application filed November 28, 1917. Serial No. 204,398.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN FREDERICH PLATH, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Maza, in the county of Towner and State of NorthDakota, have invented a new and useful Brooder; and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improved brooder, particularly adapted forraising incubator chickens.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved brooder inwhich the hoverin means is so arranged as to prevent. the chi ens fromgathering or crowding in the corners of the casing of the brooder.

A further object of the invention is to pro- "ide hovering meanscarrying members, which are easily detachable and removable by openingthe lid or cover of the brooder casing, thereby permitting access to theinterior thereof for cleaning purposes and the like.

A further object of the invention is to rovide improvedhovering means(consistmg of soft feathers) which is arranged spirally, therebypermitting the chickens to nestle thereunder in a manner more in accordwith or similar to the nestling under the feathers of a mother chickenor hen.

A further object of the invention is to provide hovering means carryingmembers consisting of frames over which pieces of textile fabric,preferably are stretched and secured, and to which pieces of fabric thehovering means or feathers are sewed or stitched or otherwise fastened.

A further object of the invention is the provision of textile fabricpieces to which the hovering means is attached and whereby the heat inthe brooder chamber may slowly penetrate and enter into a chamber abovethe hovering means carrying members and from which chamber above saidmembers the heat may pass out through one or more holes or perforationsof the side walls of the easing of the brooder. The perforations are notexceedingly large, hence there is no way for the heat to escape veryrapidly. Therefore, in this manner. the heat in the brooder chamber ismaintained more or less uniform.

However, by opening the lid or cover of the brooder casing more or less,as the case may be, the heat in the upper chamber may pass out more orless rapidly thereby more or less moderating the heat in the brooderchamber.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a brooder having aheat chamber centrally of the brooder chamber, said heat chamber havinglaterally extending outlet tubes or passages which extend through theuppermost chamber.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means whereby theheater for the heat chamber may be adjusted vertically.

A further object of the invention is the provision of improved means forattaching the hovering means to the textile fabric pieces of thehovering means carrying members.

In practical fields, the details of construction may necessitatealterations falling within the scope of what is claimed.

The invention comprises further features and combination of parts, ashereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a view in perspective of the improvedbrooder constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a view in perspective of the brooder showing the lid or coveropen.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the textile fabricof the hovering means carrying members, showing how the hovering meansor feathers are fastened spirally thereto.

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 5 moreclearly showing the spiral arrangement of the hovering means.

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view of the means for attachingtheliovering means or feathers to the textile fabric of the hoveringmeans carrying members.

Referring more especially to the drawings, 1 designates a suitablebrooder casing, which is mounted upon conventional form of legs 2, andwhich may be constructed of any suitable material, preferably wood Vfabric pieces 23.

and may be any suitable shape, preferably rectangular. The casing isprovided with a lid or cover 3 connected to the casing by the hingesthere being a hook and eye fastener 5 for holding the lid or coverclosed. Two of the opposite sides of the casing on their inner faces areprovided with upstanding cleats, acting as supports 6. In the corners ofthe interiors of the brooder casing, cleat supports 7 are arranged. Thebottom of the brooder is provided with an enlarged opening 8, and risingupwardly from the bottom adjacent the marginal edge of the opening is asuitable metallic cylindrical casing 9, the interior of whichconstitutes a heat chamber 10. Extending from and communicating with theinterior of the casing, at diametrically opposite points, are tubes orpipes 11, which extend toward and are secured in the sides of thebrooder casing having the cleats or supports 6, whereby the heat fromthe heat chamber may gradually pass off to the atmosphere. Secured tothe underface of the bottom of the brooder casing by means of screws 12is an angular bracket 13, the depending part 11 of which is providedwith elongated openings or slots 15. A suitable shelf 16 is provided forthe support of the heater or lamp 17, there being a depression 18 in theshelf for the reception of the fuel receptacle 19 of the heater. Theshelf 16 is provided with an extension hook 20, which extends into anyone of the openings 1 or slots 15. This extension hook 20 has anupturned abutment- 21, which. when the extension hook is in engagementwith one of said openings or slots, abuts one face of the bracket,thereby supporting the shelf and the heater or lamp thereon. Hoveringmeans carrying members 22 are provided, and are designed to engage theupper ends of the cleat supports, 6 and 7. Each member 22 consists of arectangular frame, to which a piece of textile fabric 23 is secured, asshown at A. The adjacent rails or longitudinal parts 25 of the frames'22 are provided with semi-circular cutaway portions 26 to engage aboutthe upper portion of the cylindrical wall of the casing 9, as shown inFig. 2 clearly. By virtue of the hovering means carrying members, thebrooder casing is divided into a brooder chamber 27 and an upper chamber'28, into which the heat from the brooder chamber may gradually pass bypenetrating through the textile One of the walls of the brooder casingis provided with one or more apertures or openings 29, through which theheat from the chamber 28 may slowly pass, hence lessening the heat inthe chamber 28, and allowing the heat in the brooder chamber to becomemore or less uniform or moderated, according to the amount of heatradiating from the wall of the heat chamber. The cover or lid of thecasing may be propped open in various positions, in order to allow theheat from the chamber 28 to pass off, to more or less moderate the heatin the brooder chamber. In this manner the heat in the brooder chambermay be lessened or decreased more rapidly. Depending from the textilefabric pieces 9.3 are hovering means 80, each of which consists ofhanging or depending feathers 31. In order to fasten or attach thefeathers of the hovering means to the textile fabric pieces 23, textilefabric strips 32 are folded longitudinally upon themselves, and betweenthe folded parts, the larger ends of the quills of the feathers arestitched or otherwise fastened, as at 33. The folded strips adjacenttheir folds 34: are secured by stitches 35 to the fabric pieces 23, andare arranged spirally, and extended outwardly and downly, so as to holdthe hovering means or feathers in spiral form, as shown in Figs. 5, 6and 7, clearly. By this spiral arrangement of the hovering means orfeathers, the young chickens are allowed to nestle thereunder and in thepassages 36 more similar to nestling under the feathers of a hen. Two ofthe opposite walls offhe brooder chamber are provided with s ghtopenings 37, which are provided with coverings 0 some suitabletransparent material, preferably celluloid or mica 38. The lid or coverof the brooder casing may be supported entirely open by means ofsuitable chain 39, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The brooder casing isprovided with an opening 40, upwardly to which a tread board 41 isinclined, whereby the chickens may enter the brooder chamber, therebeing a suitable hinged door 42 having a latch for closing the opening40.

The invention having been set forth, What is claimed as new and useful,is:-

1. In a brooder, a hovering means carrying member consisting of arectangular frame and a piece of flexible textile fabric stretchedthereover, spirally arranged hovering means consisting of feathersdepending downwardly from the textile fabric piece and a piece oftextile fabric folded longitudinally upon itself with the quills of thefeathers between the folds and stitched to the first textile fabricpiece for securing the feathers thereto.

2. In a brooder, a casing, removable hovering means carrying membersdividing said casing into a brooder chamber and a superimposed chamberinto which the heat of the brooder chamber may first pass prior topassing off to the atmosphere, said second chamber having exit openingsfor the heat, heating means for the two chambers and being centrallydisposed with relation to gas both chambers, said members having textileIn testimony whereof I have signed my fabric pieces through which theheat from name to this specification in the presence 1 the heaterchamber mav penetrate to enter of two subscribing witnesses. thesuperimposed chamber, and spirally arranged hovering means dependingfrom the JOHN FREDLRICH PLATH textile fabric pieces, said members havingWitnesses:

semi-circular cutaway portions to engage SIMON H. GUTSCHLAG,

about the heating means. D. L. SHIEL.

Copieot thie patent my be obtained (or five cents each. by eddreuing the"Commissioner of Iatente. Wuhington, D. O."

